Leathwaite Adds Commercial and Digital Practice Leader

October 1, 2020 – London-based executive search firm Leathwaite continues to expand with the recent addition of  Kevin Parker, from Heidrick & Struggles, as partner in its New York and Dallas offices. He will lead the firm’s commercial and digital practice and is expected to strengthen its technology and operations expertise.

“Mr. Parker has an impeccable track record as a leader in executive search and leadership consulting,” said Paul Groce, partner and head of Americas for Leathwaite. “With this experience in mind, he is a perfect match for the expanding Leathwaite business model and brings a wealth of knowledge in front office operations and highly sought-after functional expertise where client needs are increasing. Kevin will enable us to scale our efforts and advise our clients more effectively as we continue to ramp up our capabilities.”

“Leathwaite is a unique and innovative firm, well known and respected in the industry for its commitment to excellence in delivery and unsurpassed knowledge of its functional practice areas” said Mr. Parker. “I’m excited to work alongside the team to build on the great work Leathwaite has accomplished to date and I believe we are uniquely positioned to add long-term value for clients as human capital solutions continue to evolve and gain momentum. I hope to leverage my experience at building high-performance teams to expand the Leathwaite brand into front-office functions across the country.”

The addition of Mr. Parker bolsters Leathwaite’s offerings and further expands its footprint in the growing digital and technology-rich eco-system that exists in key markets. The firm said it has seen an increase in demand from clients in regional hubs, and Mr. Parker will work with organizations across all industries to build their digital and commercial leadership at the most senior levels. He will also partner with clients more broadly on global leadership strategies and opportunities.

Deep Experience

Mr. Parker has been a leader in executive search for more than 20 years, specializing in consumer banking and payments, leading search assignments for top national banking and financial services companies, and fintech organizations across the U.S. Most recently, he was a partner with Heidrick & Struggles in the firm’s Dallas and New York offices where he was a member of the global financial services and technology officers practice. Before that, Mr. Parker was managing director of Cook Associates and senior engagement director at Morgan Samuels, where he led their financial services and payments practices.

The U.S. remains a crucial market for the Leathwaite business as it comes off what the firm said was its best year to date, and the firm continues to add top talent in key growth markets. “We are always looking to invest in the future of Leathwaite and be true to our corporate mantra of identifying and growing top talent” said Mr. Groce. “We don’t just tell our clients this with respect to candidates, we also practice what we preach through our in-house hiring as is evidenced in Kevin Parker.”

Leathwaite is a leading executive search and human capital specialist firm, delivering an interconnected range of executive search, executive interim and data and insight services. Established in 1999, the firm has developed key international client partnerships across a range of industry sectors. Leathwaite has offices in London, New York, Hong Kong and Zurich.

Continued Growth

Last fall, the firm expanded with the addition of Thomas Lundsgaard as its head of interim management in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Based in the firm’s EMEA hub in Zürich, Swiss resident and Danish national Mr. Lundsgaard services the firm’s existing client base in locations such Switzerland, Germany, Luxembourg and broader EMEA, as well as his own historical relationships across the Nordic region.

“Our clients’ attitude to the workforce is fundamentally shifting and we need to reflect these changes,” said Chris Rowe, partner and EMEA leader for Leathwaite. “Whilst fostering talent with long-term career potential and embedding a culture remains critically important to our clients, the uncertain economic outlook coupled with the advent of new management practices such as agile, mean that increasingly companies want to buy ready-made skills and capabilities from the external marketplace by proven and ‘road tested’ executives.”

“This need to buy and deploy capabilities at short-notice is particularly acute in areas such as digital transformation, regulatory change and cybersecurity,” Mr. Rowe said. “We have carved a reputation as the go-to search firm for specialist leadership hires across corporate functions in EMEA and we believe Thomas will be a fantastic addition to our offering, by replicating this in the executive interim space.”

Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; and Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor  – Hunt Scanlon Media

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